a pictorial year in the life of amanda

Like I've done for the past two years (2005, 2006), I am summing up my entire 2007 in only 12 photos (one for each month).

I took less than half as many pictures this year as I did last year.  This year I only took a little over 4,000 . . . .it's kinda hard to beat 9000 in one year. :)  Nonetheless, it was still not easy to choose only one pic per month, but it is a fun way to showcase the various things that took place this past year.

January: Telling People about Jesus

February: Go to Thailand

March: I Play My Erhu in the Park

April: I Learn to Make Spring Rolls

May: A Fantabulous Weekend Getaway to Neighboring Island--PengHu (which I never blogged about but always intended too)

June: Students Graduate

July: My Cousins Come to Taiwan!!

August: I move to Tainan

September: My First MIRL--I get to Meet Fellow Taiwan Blogger in Person

October: Yuka, One of My Japanese Friends, Comes to Taiwan!!

November: New School, New Students, New Friends

December: Christmas Parties Galore!

Quite different than previous years.  This year was filled with more "風風雨雨"  (wind, wind, rain, rain), a Chinese idiom which can be translated "ups and downs."  But still the year remains a testament to God's kindness.

If you'd like to join me in doing this, please do . . . just leave a comment below with the link to your own pictorial summary of
2007 so we can all go enjoy looking over your year (I tried Mr. Linky, but he doesn't do custom meme's anymore unless you pay).

cruel mercy

When the sun shines--the ice melts. When the Sun of
righteousness once shines with beams of grace upon
the soul--then it melts in mercy and tenderness.

Mercifulness is a melting disposition whereby we lay
to heart the miseries of others, and are instrumental
for their good. We must chiefly be merciful to the
SOULS of others. Indeed soul-mercy is the chief of
mercies.

That is a cruel mercy--when we see men go on in
sin, and we let them alone. And that is a merciful
cruelty--when we are sharp against men's sins and
will not let them go to hell quietly.

Fond sentimentality is no better than cruelty.

The surgeon cuts and lances the flesh—but it is in
order to a cure. They are healing wounds. So when
we lance men's consciences and let out the blood of
sin, we exercise spiritual surgery. This is showing
mercy.

"Rescue others by snatching them from the fire!"
(Jude 23). If a man had fallen into the fire, though
you hurt him a little in pulling him out--he would be
thankful and take it as a kindness.  Some men, when
we tell them of sin say, 'O, you are unloving!'  No!  it
is showing mercy.

If a man's house were on fire, and
another should see it and not tell him of it, for fear of
waking him--would not this be cruelty? When we see
others sleeping in their sin, and the fire of God's wrath
ready to burn them up--and we are silent--is not this
cruelty?

(Thomas Watson, 1660, "The Beatitudes." Public Domain as seen on Grace Gems.)

yummy

This was yummy. It only cost $1.50. 

No other commentary needed. :)

hot pot just gets better

Pumpkin hot pot used to be my favorite.  But, I think I might have just found one that is even better. 

At A Guan, a restaurant near my apartment, they allow you to have two kinds of soup for boiling your food in by providing a split pot.  I chose coconut milk and curry.  The curry soup base was so wonderful I didn't even need the hot pot dipping sauce that I love so much.

This was also my first time to have chicken hot pot.  I usually choose beef or pork.  The chicken at this place was wonderful . . . I'd choose it again in a heartbeat. 

Anyone wanna come join me for hot pot this weekend?  I'd be happy to go again!

Christmas Day

I spent my Christmas Day evening with this lovely family (their dad is working in China).  They are some of my favorite people in the world.  What a blessing to live so close to them!

___

This was my first time to host a "Christmas dinner."  I had fun doing it.  I made Grandma's sweet potato casserole, cherry coke jello, roasted potatoes, and broccoli with cheese.  Oh, yeah and a pumpkin pie too.  Corrina brought over a roasted chicken, salad, and pumpkin soup.  It was all SO yummy!!!

___

It was the first time they had ever really celebrated Christmas.  I gave each of the girls a blanket and then a family game set with 10 games inside.  I also gave Corrina some smell goods and coffee with mug.  She asked me incredulously "why do we all get more than one gift?  You spoil us."  I felt like I hadn't given them much at all--it's all perspective.  The girls were SO excited to get Christmas gifts!!

___

After we stuffed ourselves and opened gifts, we played Uno Spin and Chinese Checkers.  They had never played with four people before.  If you play Taiwanese style Chinese checkers, only up to 3 people can play. 

Corrina commented how so many American games are suitable for 6-10 players, while so many Taiwanese/Chinese games are limited to two or three players.  She and her girls concluded this is because Americans like to play games as a whole family, but Taiwanese/Chinese people use/used games to encourage critical thinking skills--not as family entertainment.  I think it is a pretty interesting theory/observation.

___

Merry Christmas!!
 

merry Christmas!

overwhelmed by generosity

Deb, one of my very first blog readers (by the way I don't think I ever replied to that first comment.  I never answered her question, and yet she still came back for more), was a HUGE encouragement when I first started blogging. 

And, just recently she was HUGE encouragement to me in another way . . . she sent me a box of goodies full of wonderful stuff (shhh . . .don't tell anyone but that box of thin mints is already empty).   She made me a dishcloth in my new kitchen colors, and she picked out a book for me that has several pages about journeys and paths (I'm not sure if that was on purpose or not, but I love it!!).  She even sent me a sunflower from her garden--how fun!!  And, there were lots of other goodies inside too.  I was TOTALLY overwhelmed by her kindness as I opened the package this week. 

Thank you, Deb, for being so thoughtful and kind and overwhelming me with your generosity!